ShmoopTube

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Attitude: Positivity and Code Switching...a la Shmoop.

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Jerry Jekkyl is…something of a mad scientist. [Jerry stood in an operating theatre]

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He doesn’t experiment with dangerous chemicals, and he doesn’t try to reanimate dead tissue…

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…but he is working on a bit of a scientific experiment. Albeit…an unintentional one… [Jerry turns light switch off]

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You see, Jerry is…two different people.

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At school, he’s a real go-getter. Upbeat McGee. [Jerry and his reflection in the mirror]

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Always the first to raise his hand when a question is asked…

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…team leader whenever his classmates are separated into groups…

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...a real teacher’s pet. But when the bell rings and he goes home, [Jerry wearing a leash in the park with the teacher]

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he becomes…someone else…

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For some reason, Jerry doesn’t have any interest in showing that same enthusiasm and [Jerry looking unenthusiastic towards his family at dinner]

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dedication to his parents.

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If asked to do a chore, he mumbles and grumbles and tries to come up with some excuse.

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Like…he didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, or…his hand’s broken, or… the [Jerry sleeping in his bed]

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sun is in the tenth degree of Taurus…

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He also doesn’t talk to them about his various successes and failures during the day.

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To him, what happens at school…stays at school. [Jerry stood outside Las Vegas High School]

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The thing is…as wonderful as it is that Jerry is a positive person when around his

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teachers and classmates…

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…he may have to learn the hard way that it’s critical to maintain a positive attitude

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in all avenues of life.

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His approach to his studies may result in some killer grades, teacher recommendations [Teacher at the front of a class with essay due tomorrow written on a chalkboard]

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and acceptance into the college of his dreams…

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…but that stuff isn’t all there is to life. [Jerry exiting the school bus]

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Your family…as much as it might get under your skin from time to time, is important.

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Jerry has yet to learn that no one else he encounters in his life will love him as much [Jerry's parents throwing a party for Jerry]

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or as unconditionally…

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…no one else will be there for him from the time he’s in diapers to the time he’s…well, back in diapers…

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…and he can learn just as much from his parents as he

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can from his teachers and their textbooks.

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Stuff about how to be a good, moral person… about how to exist in the real world with

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all of the inevitable responsibilities…about how to forge relationships and build bonds [Jerry parents asking Jerry to call his Grandmother]

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with your future significant others…all that stuff.

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If you cut your family off at the pass, and…you’ll have a much harder time with all that business.

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Fortunately…it turns out that Jerry’s experiment is…just a phase.

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As he gets a little older, his parents gradually seem… a little less embarrassing. [Child wearing a ghost costume trick or treating]

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Even when his dad decides to dress up for Halloween.

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As he starts to think a bit more about all the stuff they don’t cover much in school… [Jerry's dad dressed in a grass skirt and cocounut bikini for halloween]

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…he realizes their wisdom and life experience might actually come in handy when it comes

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to stuff like understanding taxes, knowing how and where to invest, how to haggle over

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the price of a car, how to act on a first, second and third date…if he ever gets that far… [Jerry sitting in a restaurant with a woman on a date]

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So…he missed out on a couple years there

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of good, solid parental guidance…

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…but better late than never. [Jerry hauling furniture into a U-Haul truck]

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Now if he Jerry could just fix his posture…

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